Commentary

The Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition on July 15 submitted comments for consideration to update the domestic content bonus established in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). “The Biden Administration and Congress made a commitment to reshore the entire solar supply chain with the Inflation Reduction Act, but that will not be possible without […]

On Friday, May 31, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm flew to Georgia to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Plant Vogtle, the first set of nuclear reactors built in the U.S. in nearly 30 years, where she called for another 198 large-scale reactors to follow. There is a lot I don’t understand in […]

After a decades-long slowdown marked by fits and starts, the U.S. is once again building and innovating in nuclear power. In April, the second of two new nuclear units went into service at Georgia Power’s

Subject matter experts run the risk of losing their audience to overly complex and scientific messaging, as is the case in many technical industries. After all, what’s exciting to an engineer may not be to the average utility customer. Therefore, to make an emotional connection with customers and stakeholders, brands in the electric utility and […]

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., on June 28 blocked the coal power industry’s attempt to get out of the requirement that they prevent toxic coal ash from contaminating groundwater. The court affirmed that the EPA regulations established in 2015 already prohibit closing coal ash dumps with ash sitting in groundwater. Industry filed […]

Dr. David Gattie, a University of Georgia engineering professor, recently tweeted, “Nuclear is critical, but the priority must be U.S. national security and ensuring America’s competitive advantage over China and Russia in nuclear science, engineering and technology—not just about climate change.” As I sit in Warsaw, Poland, just a train ride to the Ukrainian border, […]

The utility industry is an unsung hero for nearly every community—until the power falters. A prime example is the extreme weather that passed through much of the central U.S. this spring. In Houston, where my company is based, we recently experienced severe storms that left around a million businesses and homes without power. These acts […]

Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a 1,020-page rule to control carbon dioxide emissions from existing coal-fired power plants and new natural gas-fired power plants. The rule is part of the administration’s plan to shut down coal-fired power plants in the U.S. and impose its will on the nation’s electricity system. This is the […]

It’s welcome that the U.S. House of Representatives in April revived policy discussions over nuclear waste. Our organizations support nuclear energy as a tool of economic opportunity and emissions reduction, and we believe that nuclear’s sustainable expansion is necessary for global health and prosperity. Nuclear’s role in deep decarbonization is clearer than ever, especially as […]

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed on August 16, 2022, and included financial incentives that were intended to drive more investment and deployment of clean hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. This bill has sparked a significant amount of conversation surrounding the production and deployment of hydrogen. However, as we see more and more […]